Electric signaling device.



PATENTBD JULY 3, 1906.

F. KENNEDY.

ELECTRIC SIGNALING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23. 1905. RENEWED FEB. 23 1906.

j mw/wtoz @Flii GE.

ilW YORK, Y.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. July 3, 1906.

To 0:77 whom it may concern:

Be it known that PATRICK liENNEDY citizen of the l lnited States, residing i the borough oi Brooklyn, in the county of iiiugs, in the city and Stem of New York, have invented certain new and useful lmprt 'ements in Electric Signaling Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the general class of automatic electric signaling devices of the non-interfering kind or type, of which the alarm signal-trzmsmitters are examples, (111d particularly to that form of such transmitters in which the. instrument provided with an auxiliary electromu net which controls the starting of the signal-transmitting mechanism; but which is nornmlly shunted out of the line-circuit, and. tl'ierci inoperative. The main or line clectronuignet in the in.- strument, which is made pot ntially open.- tive-by the prcssing in of a signsl-tcrensinit ting butt-on, serves to break the shunt about the auxiliary magnet and. allow "he current to flow through. its coils only "hen the line is receptive to the signed to be sent by the ins Moment.

The present invention relates to means whereby the movements of the armature of the main or line magnet serve to set in motion or arrest a. mechanism WllCll eels to break the shunt about the auxiliary magnet, and this device will be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drew-- inqs, WlIGZfFlH-- Figure l is a side elevation ot the mechern ism shown us it appears when the shim about the auxiliary magnet broken. il -lg. is a similar view showing the ports of the mechanism in the position they occu when no current is flowing through the coils of the principal magnet.

In the drawings are shown on the ports of a fire-alarm signal-transmitting nit-chem ism embodying and cooperating with. the features of the present in 'eution, but instruments of this general cherscter are known to those skilled in the i In the present case, designates the nmin or line electromagnet; E, the auxiliary msgnet; 1, the armature of e le'sunsmed msgnet, mounted on the d ever 2 of the signail-transmitting mechanism. it may be explained that when the magnet is energized it attracts its arms-tore, lifts the. (letent-lever 2, and sets in motion the clock mechanism which drives the ordinary breuli contac Wheel 3 of the transmitting mechanism. It has not been seemed necessary to show all of this transmit-ting mecheuism it is not new in this application and its specific character forms no essential part of the present invention. l i

A sl1unt-ciro11it comprising conductors w and wzind the coils of the auxiliary magnet is controlled by c circuit-breaker B, to be hereinafter more minutely described. The current enters the signal-box by a line-Wire -W, ilows through the brushes l of the breakcoutect Wheel 3, and thence by a Wire 10 to z, where it connects with the Wire w of the shunt. If the shunt is open, as in Fig. 1, it then ilows through the coils of magnet E and by wire to to the point e, thence by a wire w to the main magnet E, through the coils of said magnet, and out by a line-wire N. If, on the other hand, the shunt should be found closed at B. the current on reaching the point 2 will low by Wire w to a binding-post 5 thence to a contact-screw (i, thence to a movable or spring Contact 7, thence to 0. bindingpest 8, thence by Wire w to the point z, and thence by thewire w" to the main magnet E.

The armature 9 of the magnet E is carried by the upper arm of an armature-lever 10,

fulcrumed at f, and on the lower arm of this lever is rotutive y mounted a gear-Wheel 11. The armature f; is retracted and the lever 10 rocked on its fulcrum by zi spring 12. hen the armature is retracted. as in Fig. 2, the Wheel 11 moved out oi" gear with a Wheel 13 of an escepementdriving mechanism M, and when the armature attracted by its magnet, in Fig. 1, the wheels 11 and 13 are put in gear for driving by the swinging of the wheel 11, will be readily understood. Oh the lateral face of the Wheel 11 is a pin 14, which when said wheel rotates to the posi tion seen in Fig. 1 impinges on the springconttu-t 7 and moves it away from the screwcontect 6. thus breaking the shunt-circuit which includes the coils of the magnet E. The wheel 13 of the eseapeme-nt driving mechanism drives the wheel 11 to efl'ect the breaking of the shunt, and. when the Wheels l 1 and 13 are thrown out of gear, as in Fig. 2, the wheel ll is rotated back again by a light spring 15 until its rotation is arrested by a a, and the balance-wheel 23 is actuated in a 'be broken and closed at known we y by the lever 22. On the armature-lever 10 is a third arm 24-, which when the arn'iaturc') is retracted is caused to i1npinge upon one arm of the escapcmentdever 22 and hold the latter, as well as the entire driving mechanism, against movement.

The operation oi. the device will be readily understood from a briet explanation. If we suppose the parts to be at rest, as in Fig. 2,

and the line is clear, then it the transmittingbutton in 'the box be pressed. the circuit will be closed through the lineunagnet E, and its armature will be attracted, as seen in Fig. 1. This will set free the driving mechanism M, which will rotate the wheel 11 and cause its pin 14 to break the shunt about the magnet E. This magnet will then lift the deteut-lever 2, and thus set the transmitting mechanism in operation; but the escapement mechanism is also a retarder, and if at the time the transmitting-button of the box is pressed the line is not clear, because a signal is being sent from another box in the same system, then the current through the linemagnet E will short intervals by the break-contact wheel at the other box; but at each break the armature 9 will be retracted, the wheels 11 and 13 thrown out of gear, and the wheel 11 will be rotated back ward by its spring 15 until the stud l6 engages the stop 17. Hence the shunt about the auxiliary magnet E will not be broken until the line is clear, when the signal will. be transmitted in due course and in proper succession or sequence without the necessity of again pressing the transmitting-button.

The particular form of escapement is not important; but one important feature is the disengagement of the two gear-wheels at each break in the circuit, so that the wheel 11 may be returned to its normal position by its spring 15. It should be noted that when the detent-lever 2 is once lifted and the mechanism for transmitting the signal is thus set in motion the magnet E becomes unimportant, as the mechanism will go on and send the signal without interference from it.

One importantleature of the device herein shown is the employment of mechanical means for effecting the object to be attained in lieu of eil'ectingjt wholly by electrical means through an electromagnet. It will be noted that the only work required of the main or line magnet is to move or swing the wheel 11 into and out of gear with the driving mechanism and to arrest the vibrations of the escapement-lever, and these functions require very little electrical energy.

Y The invention is not limited or restricted to the special details or" construction herein shown, .as these may obviously be varied I In the drawings the break-contact wheel 1s shown, merely for convenience of illustration, with its brushes in the circuit with the magnets; but in practice this wheel has its brushes in a shunt which is broken by the lifting of the detent-lever 2.

Having thus described my invention, I claim t i. A device for the purpose specified, having a main electromagnet in the line-circuit, an auxiliary e'lectromagnet for setting in motion signahtransmitting mechanism, said auxiliary magnet being in shunt in the circuit, a movable device for breaking the shunt about the auxiliary magnet when said device is moved to a predetermined extent, mechanism for moving said device, the amature and armature-lever of said main eleetromagnet, the latter operatively connected with said shunt-breaking device for putting the latter out of operative relation with its driving mechanism when said lever 's retracted, means for retracting said lever,

a stop for said shunt-breaking device, and. means for returning the shunt-breaking device to said step when said. device is put out oi operative relation with its driving mech anism.

A device for the purpose specified, having a main electromagnet in the line-circuit, an auxiliary electromagnet for setting in motion a signal-transmitting mechanism,- said auxiliary magnet being in shunt in the circuit, a movable device for breaking the shunt about the auxiliary magnet when said device is moved to a predetermined extent, mechanism for moving said device, the ar mature and armature-lever of said main electromagnet, the latter operatively connected with said shunt-breaking device for putting the latter out of operative relation with its driving mechanism when said lever is retracted, means for retracting said lever,

.a stop for said shunt-breaking device, means I for returning the shunbbreakmg device to 120 said step when said device is put out of operative relation with its driving mechanism, and means carried by the armatin'e-lever of the main magnet for arresting the said driving mechanism when said lever is retracted.

S. A device for the purpose specified,- having a main elcctromagnet in the linc-circu'it, an auxiliary eleetroinagnet in shunt in the circuit, the armature, its retracting means,

and three-armed armature-lever 10, of the 30 main electromagnet, the retarded driving mechanism provided with a spur-wheel 13, the spur-wheel 1 1, rotatively mounted on one arm of the said armature-lever and so disposed as to be put into and out of gear with the dri ing-wheel 13 by the movements of the sail lever, a stop device for said Wheel 11, the spring 15 thereof, and the pin 14 in said wheel 11 so disposed as to break the shunt about the auxiliary magnet.

4. A device for the purpose specified, comprising a main electromagnet and its armature, said magnet being in the line-circuit,

means for retracting said armature, an auxiliary electromagnet normally shunted out of the circuit, the armature of said auxiliary magnet, the detent-iever of the signal-transmitting mechanism carrying the last-named armature, a normally closed shunt about said auxiliary magnet, a mechanical device for breaking said shunt, a mechanical driver for actuating said shunt-breaking device, and means, actuated by the armature of the main electromagnet, for controlling the operation of said mechanical driver. A

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 22d day of March, 1905, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PATRICK KENNEDY. Witnesses HENRY CONNETT, WILLIAM J. FIRTH. 

